Improvement in piano-action frames



H. KRANIOH & J. BAOH.

Piano-Action Frame.

No. 196,912. Patented Nov. 6,1877.

Vitimmg 547 6%f/M UNITED STATES PATENT @FFIon.

I HELLMUTH KRANIOH AND JACQUES BACH, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN PlANO-ACTlO N FRAMES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 196,912, dated November 6, 1877; application filed J uiie 29, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HELLMUTH KRANIOH and JAceUns BACI-I, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Piano-Fortes, of which the following is a description:

'- Our invent-ion'relates to the means whereby the part of a piano-forte known as the action is supported and secured in place, and has especial relation to an upright piano-forte.

Hitherto the action has generally been supported by a frame or rack having wooden crossrails or stretchers, which have been lia ble to shrink or warp and impair the quality of the piano-forte by forcing the hammers out of position, and causing some to operate with more or less force than others. It is difficult, if not practically impossible, to repair such injury. Therefore we have endeavored to preclude all possibility of its occurrence.

To this end our invention consists in a holder consisting of a metal box or shell, preferably cast in one piece, open at the back, and adapted to receive and hold a wooden hammer-rail, whereby, in a very simple and inexpensive manner, the sagging, warping, or shrinking of the rail so as to occasion the derangement of the piano-forte action is effectually precluded, and, owing to its face being exposed, great facility is atforded for securing the action in place.

Our invention also consists in a holder for a piano-forte action supported from the iron or metal string-frame, whereby the several parts of the piano-forte may be so connected that their proper relations will be preserved.

Our invention also consists in the combina tion, with our pianoaction holder, of devices for securing it directly to the iron or metal string-frame, whereby the action and other parts of the piano-forte are so connected that their proper relations will be preserved, and legs, feet, standards, and other uprights may be dispensed with.

Our invention also consists in the combination, with a piano-action holder supported by devices on the iron or metal frame, of legs adapted to support it when detached from other parts of the piano-forte.

Our invention also consists in the combination, with a piano-forte-action holder, of a hammer-rest rail cast with its supporting-arms in one piece of metal, and pivoted to the holder, whereby derangement of the action incident to-the warping or shrinking of such rest is obviated, and short stops or rests therefor may be employed.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a front view of a pianoiorte-action holder embodying our improvements, and a front view of devices whereby it is supported and secured in place, portions being broken away to shorten it. Fig. 2 is a back view of such holder, with portions similarly broken away. Fig.3 is an end view of this holder and side view of the devices whereby it is supported and secured in place, and Fig. 4 is a transverse section of said holder. c

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

' r A designates a'holder for a piano-forte ac tion, consisting of a metal box or shell, pref= erably cast in one piece, wherein a hammerrail, B, may be fitted so snugly that it will be effectually precluded from warping, shrink-' ing, or changing its position, and-occasion-the derangement of the piano-forte action sup ported by it. It is shown as having a solid front, a, and bottom I), and as being provided at the top with fingers c, impinging on the hammer-rail to retain it vertically in place.

Any suitable means for retaining the hammer-rail transversely in place may be adopted. Screws or other equivalent devices may be used. Preferably this holder is supported through the iron or metal string-frame, and not through any legs, feet, or standards. The means represented for supporting the holder consist of jaws or pairs of nojections G, which receive portions of the holder between them, extend from the iron or metal stringframe, and may, with advantage, be cast therewith.

In the upper jaw or projection G of each pair is a screw, D, which may be adjusted to permit the easy insertion of the holder between the jaws or projections, and to clamp it securely when in place. Preferably these screws D have taper points, and the fingers c of the holder A, on which they impinge, are provided with inwardly-tapering holes or seekets, so that the holder may always be centered into: the same position after removal from the a of the holder A-. They consist of pairs of jaws or projections, and form convenient means for supporting said rails, as they may be cast with the holder,

G designates handles, which afford facility for lifting the holder and piano-forte action from place to place, and extend from the holder,

with which they maybe advantageously-ab tache'dby casting them in the same piece therewith. I v p H designates a hammer rest rail, made of metal, a'n d supported by arms H pivoted to the stock-piece E", from which extend the jaws p tion holder, as described, supported by devices on the iron or metal string-frame, of legs.

or pr j ct n E; Suppo t g he r g ngrail F. Preferablythe rail H and its arms H are ica'st'in one piece, to render them so rigid as to preclude any warping or twist resulting inthe derangement of the action. A rigid rail like this may have any suitable stop or stops, instead of the stops, consisting of a rail,

usually employed, and therefore a piano-action holder embodying it may be simplified and chea'pened, H p y I p The ends of the arms H may be shaped'so that by abutting against the front of the holder the latter will form a stop; but we have shown the handle Q so shapedas to forn'rs'tops for v the rail, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. Although with this construction "and e'oinbinati'onof parts there is no necessity for legs or feet, we ha'vesh'ow-n our holder asprovided with feet I,which may be. attached to itbiy casting-them therewith, and afiord conveiij ience for su porting the holder when detached from other parts of the piano-forte. What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- l. A piano-forte-action holder or seat consisting of a metal box'or shell, A, open at the back, and adapted to receive and hold awooden hammer-rail-, snbstantially as described.

2. A holderfor a piano-forte action, as specified, supported from the iron or metal stringp frame, substantially as described, whereby the several parts of the piano-forte may be so connected that their proper relations will be preserved.

3. The combination,- with a.piano-forte-dac-;

tion holder, as described, of devices for securing it directly to the iron or metal string-= frame, substantially as and for the fpintp'ose set forth.

4. The combinatiomwith atpiano-forte-ac .adapted'to support it when detached from other parts of the piano-forte, substantially as set forth. 7

5, The combination, with a I piano-forte-action holder, of a hammer-rest rail cast withits supporting-arms;in one pieceof metal, and pivotedto the holder, substantiallyas set forth, whereby derangementof the action in cident to the warping or shrinking of "such, rail is obviated and short stops or tests therefor maybe employed.

. ,Witness'esy i -ALBIN KRANIGE,

JKFORSTER.

HELLMUTH neuron; 

